[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Identifying ST251-1

singlar@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Singlar) (03/16/89)

I recently bought a WD286 based AT clone from SAI which I am
very happy with so far.  However, I noticed the hard drive was
factory labelled as an ST251.  Since I paid extra to get the
28 ms ST251-1, I want to be sure SAI did not make a mistake 
by installing the 40 ms ST251.  I thus have two questions:

	1) Does Seagate omit the suffix digit when labelling
	   their drives?
	
	2) Are there any good benchmark utilities I can run
	   to assess the average access time?
	
Thanks in advance.



			-Steve Singlar
			 
			
			

rong@cwsys2..CWRU.Edu (Rong Chen) (03/17/89)

In article <12093@ihlpa.ATT.COM> singlar@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Singlar) writes:
>...factory labelled as an ST251.  Since I paid extra to get the
>28 ms ST251-1, I want to be sure SAI did not make a mistake 
>by installing the 40 ms ST251.  I thus have two questions:
>
>	1) Does Seagate omit the suffix digit when labelling
>	   their drives?
>	
>	2) Are there any good benchmark utilities I can run
>	   to assess the average access time?

ST251-1 has 2 labels: ST251 & MLC-1
ST251 has also 2 labels: ST251 & MLC-0
so if you get "MLC-1", you get what you paid for.

It's said that -1 & -0 are identical except when Seagate test the avg access
time, those with speed faster than 28ms get -1, those slower than 28ms, but 
faster than 40ms get -0, i.e. ST251 w/o "-1".

PC Magazine Bench Mark Test includes avg access test(avail thru PCNet, I
guess).

rong chen

karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM ([Karl Denninger]) (03/19/89)

>-----
>Response 1 of 1 (2330) by rong at cwsys2 on Sat 18 Mar 89 1:6
>In article <12093@ihlpa.ATT.COM> singlar@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Singlar) writes:
>>...factory labelled as an ST251.  Since I paid extra to get the
>>28 ms ST251-1, I want to be sure SAI did not make a mistake 
>>by installing the 40 ms ST251.  I thus have two questions:

>ST251-1 has 2 labels: ST251 & MLC-1
>ST251 has also 2 labels: ST251 & MLC-0
>so if you get "MLC-1", you get what you paid for.

There are also MLC-2 and MLC-3 drives from Seagate; those are also 40ms 
units.... the ONLY ones which are 28ms are those which are labelled MLC-1

---
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, ddsw1!karl)
Data: [+1 312 566-8912], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910]
Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.     "Quality solutions at a fair price"